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Learn how to unleash the creative hero within.

Everyone should be working to create something, whether it’s making a living for a family, starting a business, or an artistic endeavor like songwriting or painting. Here’s our top 5 strategies for keeping up your creative energy, no matter what journey you’re on…

1. Sit Down and Focus!

Whether or not you “feel” like sitting down and getting creative, the #1 thing I attribute my creative success on is disciplining yourself to focus your artistic efforts.

Use these tips to cultivate creative time for yourself:

• Creating a quiet, inspiring environment to work in
• Carving out a specified time in your day to dedicate yourself to your craft

Sometimes it can feel as though your best work often seems to come from spontaneity and bursts of inspiration, as if we were struck by lightning. By showing up, we increase the likelihood that inspiration will strike.

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2. Defeat Your Inner Critic

I recommend checking out “The Artist’s Way”.

One good way to conquer your inner critic is “morning pages.” Morning pages are a free-write session where you write 3 pages first thing in the morning, as suggested by Julia Cameron (the author of The Artist’s Way).

Don’t hold anything back, just write out what you’re feeling, this will:

1. Clear the cobwebs
2. Invite your mind to explore

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3. Write It Out and Move On

When writing, it can be easy to get caught up in trying to make something perfect and end up spending way too much time on one thing. My advice? JUST FINISH THE THING!

At NAMM, this was my biggest takeaway from the songwriter panels. FINNEAS told the audience during his keynote that he almost never rewrites his lyrics. He said there’s no point on working forever on an ok song.

4. Take a Break

Spontaneity and adventure are great for replenishing creativity.

Re-inspire yourself if you’re feeling stuck with writer’s block. Instead of writing or creating, you could:

• Go to a concert
• Take a road trip
• Read a book of poetry
• Or even just take a walk.

5. Borrow from Others

Think of people who’s work really inspires you and work off of their template (without copying of course).

Something I like to do is find a melody that I really like, and twist it around into something new and different.

Melodies are copyrighted, so you have to be careful with this. On the other hand, chord progressions are NOT copyrighted, so borrow anything you need!

Summary:

Creativity is flowing inside all of us. All you need to do to unleash it is to:

1. Sit Down and Focus
2. Defeat Your Inner Critic
3. Write It Out and Move On
4. Take a Break
5. Borrow from Others

How will you utilize these tools and ideas in your projects? I’d love to hear from you.